News and views about the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 and other legislation, schemes and policies impacting the Right to Education of India's Children.

Around
9,281 students in city, mostly special kids, across Maharashtra who are
getting benefits under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) are affected by
the hunger strike of its 6,309 teaching and non-teaching staff on
contract.

Around 9,281 students in city, mostly special kids, across Maharashtra
who are getting benefits under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) are
affected by the hunger strike of its 6,309 teaching and non-teaching
staff on contract. The fast is being held at Azad Maidan for the past
two days.

Out of 6,309 staff, 2,508 are mobile teachers who go to the houses of special children to teach them.

The employees are fasting because they want the government to
regularise them. Around 600 of them have been at Azad Maidan since April
2. Three teachers are said to have already been hospitalised.

“The government renews our contract every six months. This too it does
after giving a day’s break between the renewal. We are worried whether
our contracts will be renewed even after 10 years of service. That’s why
we want the government to regularise our jobs,” said Sagar Gaikwad,
president of the SSA Contract Karmachari Sanghatan (SSACKS),
Maharashtra.

“Our worries have increased because in March the government removed
2,000 teachers saying it doesn’t have the money to employ them.”

The teaching staff under SSA provides education to teachers in Marathi
medium BMC schools. As per the SSA, around 65% of their expenses is
borne by the Centre and 35% by the state. Those protesting teach
students from Std I to VIII apart from improving the quality of
education.

“For non-teaching staff in some cases, the government has reduced the
salary citing lack of funds. How can one live when inflation is
mounting,” said Gosavi Shavakarn, vice-president of SSACKS.

“We had sent the proposal to Centre for sanctioning the posts. Only 50%
was sanctioned this time. We have sent the proposal again,” said Anil
Kale, director of SSA and RTE in state.

The protesting staff, however, slammed the reasoning. “It is the state
which has not given Centre the list of adequate requirement of teachers
and that is why the posts were not sanctioned. We held a meeting with
the ministers but they too failed to take a decision,” said Gaikwad.

Kale declined to comment on that. He also declined to comment on the
protesting staff being regularised. Maharashtra ministers Fauzia Khan
and Rajendra Darda who the protesting teachers spoke to were not
available for comment.